Holocaust archive opened

The most complete record of Nazi persecution to date has opened in Germany.

10 Dec 2007 09:20 GMT

A detailed insight into Hitler's Nazi death machine has finally become public after more than 60 years, giving people a chance to discover how efficiently the system operated. The opening of the Holocaust archive in Bad Arolsen, Germany contains the most complete record of Nazi persecution to date. It portrays, with chilling detail, the assembly-line methods employed by those working in the concentration camps. For survivors and their families, the records do bring some hope, as they now have full access to greater detail about the fates of their loved ones.

Christopher Hitchens, left, and Reto Meister

On Wednesday's Riz Khan we look at the significance of those records and how they might help bring closure and what they may teach us today.

Reto Meister, the director of the International Tracing Service, which administers the Holocaust Archive in Bad Arolsen and well-known author and journalist Christopher Hitchens join the programme.

You can watch Riz at 1900GMT, with repeats at 0000GMT, 0500GMT, and 0930GMT.